Podcasts about minsk agreements

*Qatar calls for safeguards for all Israeli nuclear facilities Qatar reiterated its call for intensified international efforts Saturday to subject all of Israel's nuclear facilities to the safeguards of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Qatar's Ambassador Jasim Yacoub Al Hammadi highlighted “the need for the international community and its institutions to uphold their commitments under resolutions of the UN Security Council, which called on Israel to subject all of its nuclear facilities to IAEA safeguards.” He also highlighted “the urgency for the international community and its institutions to take decisive action to compel Israel to implement international resolutions, recognise the Palestinian people's right to self-determination and the establishment of their independent state. *Russia says France has repeatedly lied Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has accused France of lying and violating international agreements, including the implementation of the Minsk agreements for a settlement in Ukraine and violated security guarantees given to Viktor Yanukovych, a former Ukrainian president. He stressed: "France, like other countries, didn't fulfill its guarantees. It was a real lie," adding that when French President Emmanuel Macron accused Russia of posing a threat to Europe, he did not mention France's mistakes. The Minsk Agreements were meant to resolve the Crimea crisis in 2014, as well as Eastern Ukraine. *Arab League denounces attack on security forces in Syria The Arab League condemned acts of violence and attacks on government security forces to fuel internal tensions and threaten civil peace in Syria. It expressed "condemnation of violence, attacks on government security forces, and reckless killings, threaten civil peace, and exacerbate the challenges Syria is facing at this critical stage."​​​​​​​ The Arab League emphasised that "such circumstances require a focus on policies and measures that strengthen and safeguard stability and civil peace to thwart any plans aimed at destabilising Syria and undermining its chances for recovery." *North Korea unveils nuclear-powered submarine for the first time North Korea has unveiled for the first time a nuclear-powered submarine under construction, a weapons system that can pose a major security threat to South Korea and the US. The naval vessel appears to be a 6,000-ton-class or 7,000-ton-class one which can carry about 10 missiles, South Korean submarine expert said, adding the use of the term “the strategic guided missiles” meant it would carry nuclear-capable weapons. *Un warns South Sudan's peace process at risk amid growing violence A recent surge in violence and escalating political tensions in South Sudan are putting a fragile peace process in jeopardy, a UN human rights commission warned. "We are witnessing an alarming regression that could erase years of hard-won progress," Yasmin Sooka, chairperson of the UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan, said. She urged leaders to "urgently refocus on the peace process, uphold the human rights of South Sudanese citizens, and ensure a smooth transition to democracy."

Part 4 of this analysis...  The History Behind Ukraine's Turmoil.  We are still talking about the Tucker Carlson interview with Vladimir Putin. At this point, we're going to pick up where Vladimir Putin is talking about. He's still talking about the history. He's still trying to get Tucker to see the importance of the history of Ukraine and how they were formed. Tucker had asked the question, who did you talk to about Ukraine not being in NATO? Who did you go to? And Putin is responding to this in a way that's very clear, very poignant. And he's saying, these people, meaning us, the United States, have lied to him before. He sought to be a part of the club before, and they told him no. So even though they guaranteed him that they were not going to have Ukraine going to NATO, they still kept pushing in other areas and redrawing the borders. This is very important to understand what he's saying and why he's laying out this history. And for all of you people who still believe he's a warmonger and he's trying to destroy the entire world, you can see that the only thing he's concerned about is making sure that Ukraine does not become a part of NATO. Why is this important? Why would this be a key thing for him? Because this puts NATO forces, it puts the ability for NATO to drop troops into Ukraine and march straight into Russia.  Listen as Christopher shares. See video - https://rumble.com/embed/v4dj5rn/?pub=17tgqx

Scott talks with Ted Snider about former German Chancellor Angela Merkel's recent claim that the Minsk agreements were never meant to bring peace to the Donbas. Merkel said that instead, they were implemented to give Ukraine time to build up its military. Some are doubting whether Merkel's comments are true, but Snider explains why this is a big deal whether she's lying or not. Scott and Snider explore the dynamic around the Minsk agreements and examine the crucial years between the 2014 ousting of Yanukovych and the 2022 invasion. They also touch on where things stand today and on whether the best window for negotiation has already passed.  Discussed on the show: “Did Europe Lie to Russia About Peace?” (Antiwar.com) “The U.S. Approach to Ukraine's Border War Isn't Working. Here's What Biden Should Do Instead” (Politico) “Did the West Miss Its Window?” (Antiwar.com) “CIA director holds secret meeting with Zelensky on Russia's next steps” (Washington Post) Ted Snider has a graduate degree in philosophy and writes on analyzing patterns in U.S. foreign policy and history. He is a regular writer for Truthout, MondoWeiss and antiwar.com. This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: Tom Woods' Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott. Get Scott's interviews before anyone else! Subscribe to the Substack. Shop Libertarian Institute merch or donate to the show through Patreon, PayPal or Bitcoin: 1DZBZNJrxUhQhEzgDh7k8JXHXRjY Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

 Download Episode. Scott talks with Ted Snider about former German Chancellor Angela Merkel's recent claim that the Minsk agreements were never meant to bring peace to the Donbas. Merkel said that instead, they were implemented to give Ukraine time to build up its military. Some are doubting whether Merkel's comments are true, but Snider explains why this is a big deal whether she's lying or not. Scott and Snider explore the dynamic around the Minsk agreements and examine the crucial years between the 2014 ousting of Yanukovych and the 2022 invasion. They also touch on where things stand today and on whether the best window for negotiation has already passed.  Discussed on the show: “Did Europe Lie to Russia About Peace?” (Antiwar.com) “The U.S. Approach to Ukraine's Border War Isn't Working. Here's What Biden Should Do Instead” (Politico) “Did the West Miss Its Window?” (Antiwar.com) “CIA director holds secret meeting with Zelensky on Russia's next steps” (Washington Post) Ted Snider has a graduate degree in philosophy and writes on analyzing patterns in U.S. foreign policy and history. He is a regular writer for Truthout, MondoWeiss and antiwar.com. This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: Tom Woods' Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott. Get Scott's interviews before anyone else! Subscribe to the Substack. Shop Libertarian Institute merch or donate to the show through Patreon, PayPal or Bitcoin: 1DZBZNJrxUhQhEzgDh7k8JXHXRjY

Does twitter hate free speech, or do they love money? What the heck are the Minsk Agreements? Should Railroad workers get paid sick days? We answer SOME of these questions! Thanks again to Beatrice Poundwell for joining the show once again, AND for committing to leaving twitter. Follow E.A.R.L. on NoHomers.com All of the Links: LastMinutePolitics.com https://www.patreon.com/LastMinutePolitics  EMAIL US: LastMinutePoliticsPodcast@gmail.com Pay us: Paypal.me/LastMinutePolitics

Guests featured in this episode: Mykola Gnatovskyy, a renowned Ukrainian legal scholar who was recently elected to serve as judge at the European Court of Human Rights. Before taking up this very prestigious nine-year appointment at the ECHR, Mykola was a professor at the Institute of International Relations, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. He also advised the Ukrainian Minister for Foreign Affairs on international criminal justice, and was a member of the International Expert Board on Crimes Committed during Armed Conflict at the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine.From 2015 until 2021, Mykola served three consecutive terms as President of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.In March of this 2022, he was one of the original signatories, together with Ukraine's Minister of Foreign Affairs and the former British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, calling for the establishment of a special tribunal to investigate Russia for the crime of aggression against Ukraine. GLOSSARY:What is the International Criminal Court?(01:58 or p.1 in the transcript)International Criminal Court (ICC): permanent judicial body established by the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (1998) to investigate, prosecute, and try individuals accused of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity and to impose prison sentences upon individuals who are found guilty of such crimes. On July 1, 2002, after the requisite number of countries (60) ratified the agreement, the court began sittings. It is headquartered in the Netherlands at The Hague: source What is the War in Ukraine?(04:32 or p.2 in the transcript)In early November 2021 Russia began building up military forces along the borders of Ukraine, for the second time in a year. Over 100,000 Russian military personnel and assets were deployed in Crimea and in the Voronezh, Kursk and Bryansk regions of western Russia. Further Russian forces were deployed to Belarus for a series of exercises close to the Ukrainian border and Russian naval assets from the Baltic and Northern fleets deployed for exercises in the Black Sea. Tensions escalated following a US intelligence assessment in December 2021, which suggested that Russia could be planning an invasion of Ukraine in early 2022. On 24 February 2022 Russia launched military action in Ukraine, with forces crossing into the country from Belarus in the north, Russia in the east and Crimea in the south. Russia's actions came just days after President Putin officially recognized the self-declared independence of the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) and Luhansk People's Republic (LPR), the regions of eastern Ukraine that are under the control of Russian-backed separatist forces, and deployed “peacekeeping” forces to the region: source What is the massacre in Eastern Anatolia?(07:18 or p.2 in the transcript)Massacre in Eastern Anatolia, also known as Armenian Genocide: campaign of deportation and mass killing conducted against the Armenian subjects of the Ottoman Empire by the Young Turk government during World War I (1914–18). Armenians charge that the campaign was a deliberate attempt to destroy the Armenian people and, thus, an act of genocide. The Turkish government has resisted calls to recognize it as such, contending that, although atrocities took place, there was no official policy of extermination implemented against the Armenian people as a group: source What is the Wagner Group?(17:02 or p.5 in the transcript)Wagner Group: a network of businesses and groups of mercenaries that have been linked by overlaps in ownership and logistics networks. Entities making up the network have been described in sanctions designations by the U.S. Treasury as being involved in a wide range of activities, including working to suppress pro-democracy protests, spreading disinformation, mining for gold and diamonds, and engaging in paramilitary activity. The group, such as it is, first appeared in Ukraine in 2014, where it assisted the Russian military in the annexation of Crimea. Since then, paramilitaries and businesses have branched out to Syria—where they have fought in support of embattled President Bashar al-Assad while securing a foothold in the country's energy sector—as well as to Libya, Sudan, Madagascar, Mozambique, and the Central African Republic: source What is the occupation of Crimea and Eastern Ukraine?(31:38 or p. 8 in the transcript)The Crisis in Crimea and Eastern Ukraine: on 22 February 2014, President Yanukovych disappeared from Ukraine and a new government was installed by the Ukrainian parliament. Later that month unidentified military figures, widely thought in the West to be Russian personnel (this was later confirmed), surrounded the airports in Crimea, a majority-Russian peninsula in Ukraine and the Crimean autonomous assembly was taken over by pro-Russian forces. In March 2014 a declaration of independence was issued by the assembly and a subsequent referendum on union with Russia was held. Since then, Russia has maintained its control over Crimea and supported pro-Russian separatist forces who also took control of parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of eastern Ukraine (the Donbas) in 2014. Fighting between Russian-supported separatists and Ukrainian government forces has continued in the Donbas for the last eight years despite the negotiation of the Minsk Agreements in 2014/2015 which called for a ceasefire, the withdrawal of all foreign armed groups and constitutional reform recognizing the special status of Donetsk and Luhansk: source  Democracy in Question? is brought to you by:• Central European University: CEU• The Albert Hirschman Centre on Democracy in Geneva: AHCD• The Podcast Company: Novel Follow us on social media!• Central European University: @CEU• Albert Hirschman Centre on Democracy in Geneva: @AHDCentreSubscribe to the show. If you enjoyed what you listened to, you can support us by leaving a review and sharing our podcast in your networks! 

Who is Sonic? As fast and cocky as ever before, Sonic is set to return to cinema screens this week with the release of Sonic 2. We all know that the small blue hedgehog originally started out as a video game star. So just how did the face of Japanese game studio SEGA end up becoming such a major figure in pop culture? Tell me about Sonic the Hedgehog's beginnings. How was he created? Was the first game well received? How did Sonic manage to survive that setback? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen to the last episodes, you can click here: What is sign singing? What is temporary protection? What are the Minsk Agreements? A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance. In partnership with upday UK. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is sign singing? Deafness is known for being an invisible disability, which can lead to exclusion and loneliness. According to a Human Rights Watch article from 2019, 70 million deaf people across the world use sign language to communicate. Well sign singers take that one step further, by adapting song lyrics into sign language for the deaf and hard of hearing. How do sign singers translate music? Where does it come from? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen to the last episodes, you can click here: What is temporary protection? What are the Minsk Agreements? What is Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome? A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance. In partnership with upday UK. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is temporary protection? According to United Nations estimates from just over a week ago, more than 10 million Ukrainians have fled their homes since the start of the Russian invasion in February 2022. 3.4 million of them have left Ukraine, with 90% being women and children given that all men under 60 are required to stay and defend their country. It's been described as the “fastest growing refugee crisis since the Second World War”, by the UN's High Commissioner for Refugees. What rights and provisions does it grant? Is this a new EU policy then? What about refugees from elsewhere? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen to the last episodes, you can click here: What are the Minsk Agreements? What is Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome? What is myopia? A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance. In partnership with upday UK. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What are the Minsk Agreements? The main aim of the 2014 and 2015 Minsk Agreements was to prevent war in Europe, but they were repeatedly breached over the years, and eventually became obsolete when Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Fighting broke out in Ukraine's Donbas region in early 2014, opposing pro-Russian separatists and the Ukrainian army. How did the Agreements come to be signed? What was actually in the agreements? Are we saying the Agreements no longer stand then? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen to the last episodes, you can click here: What is Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome? What is myopia? What is nuclear deterrence? A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance. In partnership with upday UK. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Talk Art speaks to Mark Neville, the award winning British photographer. Since 2015, Neville (born 1966) has been documenting life in Ukraine, with subjects ranging from holidaymakers on the beaches of Odessa and the Roma communities on the Hungarian border to those internally displaced by the war in Eastern Ukraine. Through his community-based projects, Neville explores the social function of the medium, using still and moving images as well as photo books. His projects have consistently looked to subvert the traditional, passive role of social documentary practice to activate social debate and change beyond the boundaries of cultural institutions.Employing his activist strategy of a targeted book dissemination, Neville is committed to making a direct impact upon the war in Ukraine. He will distribute copies of this volume free to policy makers, opinion makers, members of parliament both in Ukraine and Russia, members of the international community and those involved directly in the Minsk Agreements. He means to reignite awareness about the war, galvanize the peace talks and attempt to halt the daily bombing and casualties in Eastern Ukraine which have been occurring for four years now. Neville's images are accompanied by writings from both Russian and Ukrainian novelists, as well as texts from policy makers and the international community, to suggest how to end the conflict.Shortlisted for Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize 2020, Mark Neville works at the intersection of art and documentary, investigating the social function of photography. He makes lens-based works which have been realised and disseminated in a large array of contexts, as both still and moving image pieces, slideshows, films, and giveaway books. His work seeks to find new ways to empower the position of its subject over that of the author. Often working with closely knit communities, in a collaborative process intended to be of direct, practical benefit to the subject, his photographic projects to date have frequently made the towns he portrays the primary audience for the work. Points of reference for his practice might include the ideas of Henri Lefebvre, or the art works of Martha Rosler, John Berger, or Hans Haacke."What changes people's minds about a conflict is a poem, a song, or a photograph. It's people's feelings that need to be changed. To my mind, that's the role of the artist." Mark Neville speaking to The Guardian, February 2022.To contact Mark, follow @MarkNevilleStudio on Instagram and his official website is: http://www.markneville.com/If you are able, please help by supporting @SaveChildrenUK Emergency Fund today or text CRISIS to 70008 to donate £5. Your donation will allow their teams to help children in crisis.

Olivia Ward has been the Toronto Star's reporter from previous Russian wars - especially Chechnya. Erika Simpson is a political science professor specializing in NATO. Alex MacIsaac is the new director of world federalism in Canada. Real Lavergne was the head of Fair Vote Canada and Martin Klein is a professor emeritus of history, U of Toronto. We discuss the four-day-old war in Ukraine and its causes, including early enticement of Ukraine to believe they might be admitted to NATO, and even whether Putin is mentally unhinged. We consider various possibilities for a solution, including the Minsk Agreements, and the possibility of becoming a neutral state. For the video, audio podcast, transcript, and comments column: https://tosavetheworld.ca/episode-417-end-this-war/.

This week's episode is dedicated to understanding what is going on in Ukraine and Putin's decision to invade the country. The invasion of Ukraine by Putin's led forces takes Western countries' diplomatic ties with Russia back to 1945 according to diplomat and former ambassador of Italy to Moscow, Guido Lenzi. The diplomat also added that Russia refused to take EU leaders seriously, their only interlocutors are the Americans. However, Putin's Russia must take the EU seriously, especially when it comes down to diplomacy. Other topics with Lenzi were the Bucharest Treaty, Minsk Agreements, "Compatriots abroad", history of EU-Russia relations and the escalation in Ukraine. Our second guest is M.B., whose identity is not disclosed as she is doing a traineeship in an institution in Kyiv and, as we did not have the greenlight for the interview by the institution, she prefers to stay anonymous. She also added that everything she says is her own view and do not express the views of the institution she is working for. M.B. talked about Ukrainian media, the press' reaction to the escalation and a comparison with Western media. The interviews were recorded on 24/02/2022, therefore, any missing information or change of events might be due to the date. Host of the episode: Luca De Cristofaro Guests: Diplomat Guido Lezzi and our informant M.B. Follow United Citizens of Europe: IG: @unitedcitizensofeurope Twitter: @ucofeurope Facebook: United Citizens of Europe www.unitedcitizensofeurope.com

中方谈乌克兰局势：呼吁相关各方保持克制|Restraint Urged on Ukraine IssueChina called on all parties concerned in the Ukraine issue to exercise restraint, avoid any action that might fuel tensions and seek reasonable solutions to the situation.中方呼吁乌克兰问题有关各方都要保持克制，避免任何可能加剧紧张局势的行动，寻求解决彼此关切的合理方案。Russian President Vladimir Putin signed two decrees on Monday recognizing "the Lugansk People's Republic" and "the Donetsk People's Republic" as independent and sovereign states. He later instructed the Russian armed forces to ensure peace in the two "countries".俄罗斯总统弗拉基米尔·普京周一签署两项命令，承认“顿涅茨克人民共和国”和“卢甘斯克人民共和国”为独立主权国家，下令俄军为这两个地区提供“和平保障”。State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke with United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken by phone on Tuesday. Wang said that China is concerned about the evolution of the situation in Ukraine. China's position on the Ukraine issue complies with its consistently held position that the legitimate security concerns of any country should be respected and the purposes and principles of the UN Charter should be safeguarded.周二，国务委员兼外长王毅同美国国务卿安东尼·布林肯通电话。王毅在通话中表示，中方对乌克兰局势演变表示关注。中方在乌克兰问题上的立场是一贯的，任何国家的合理安全关切都应得到尊重，联合国宪章的宗旨和原则应当得到维护。The evolution of the Ukraine issue so far is closely related to the delay in the effective implementation of the new Minsk Agreements, he said.他说，乌克兰问题演变至今，与新明斯克协议迟迟未能有效执行密切相关。China will continue to engage with all parties according to the merits of the matter itself. The situation in Ukraine is deteriorating, and China again calls on all parties to exercise restraint, ease the situation and resolve differences through dialogue.中方将继续按照事情本身的是非曲直，与各方接触。乌克兰局势正趋于恶化。中方再次呼吁各方保持克制，通过对话谈判缓和事态，化解分歧。The United Nations Security Council had an emergency meeting on the deepening Ukraine crisis on Monday. Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the UN, said at the meeting that "all parties concerned must exercise restraint and avoid any action that may fuel tensions".纽约当地时间2月21日，联合国安理会就不断恶化的乌克兰局势召开紧急会议。中国常驻联合国代表张军在会上表示：“有关各方都要保持克制，避免任何可能加剧紧张局势的行动。”"We welcome and encourage every effort for a diplomatic solution, and call on all parties concerned to continue dialogue and consultation, and seek reasonable solutions to address each other's concerns on the basis of equality and mutual respect," Zhang said.张军表示：“我们欢迎并鼓励一切致力于推动外交解决的努力，呼吁有关各方继续开展对话协商，在平等和相互尊重的基础上寻求解决彼此关切的合理方案。”The current situation in Ukraine is a result of many complex factors, he said.张军还说，乌克兰局势发展到目前状况，是一系列复杂因素共同作用的结果。"We believe that all countries should solve international disputes by peaceful means in line with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter," he said.他说：“中方主张各国根据联合国宪章的宗旨和原则，和平解决国际争端。”Putin's recognition of the two "republics" on Monday drew immediate sanctions from the United States. The US and its European allies are also poised to announce harsh new sanctions against Russia on Tuesday, Reuters reported.普京周一签署关于承认两个“共和国”的命令立即遭到美国的制裁。据路透社报道，美国及其欧洲盟友当地时间周二宣布对俄实施严厉的新制裁。Li Yonghui, a researcher of Russian studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said Russia's recognition of the "republics" is a key step to hinder NATO's eastward expansion. Russia and NATO will probably have a long-term military confrontation, and a more tense security situation is likely to appear in Europe, she said.中国社会科学院俄罗斯东欧中亚研究所研究员李勇慧表示，俄罗斯承认“共和国”是应对北约东扩的最关键性步骤，俄罗斯和北约可能会发生长期的军事对抗，欧洲安全形势或将更为紧张。Moreover, after a series of talks with Western countries, Russia has seen that Western countries are not likely to send troops to safeguard Ukraine's security in addition to imposing economic sanctions on Russia, Li said.此外，李勇慧表示，在与西方国家进行一系列会谈后，俄方已经看到，除了对俄实施经济制裁外，西方国家不太可能出兵维护乌克兰安全。The independence of the two regions means that the Minsk Agreements, signed by Russia and Ukraine in 2014 and 2015, have become mere scraps of paper, Li said.李勇慧说，这两个地区的独立意味着俄罗斯与乌克兰在2014年和2015年签署的《明斯克协议》已成为一纸空文。"All parties may still need to return to the negotiating table to deal with the situation," she said.她说：“各方可能仍需要回到谈判桌上来解决问题。”Yuri Rogulev, director of the Franklin Roosevelt Foundation for United States Studies at Moscow State University, said the current international deadlock will last for a long time. Moscow's Western adversaries and Russia itself can maintain tension, but no one will cross into the point of no return, he added.莫斯科大学富兰克林·罗斯福美国研究基金会主任尤里·罗古廖夫认为，当前的国际僵局将会持续很长一段时间。他补充说，俄方及其西方对手的关系会持续紧张，但没有人会越过红线。sovereign英 [ˈsɒvrɪn]；美[ˈsɑːvrɪn] n. 君主；元首；金镑（旧时英国金币，面值一英镑）adj. 有主权的；完全独立的；掌握全部权力的；有至高无上的权力的permanent英 [ˈpɜːmənənt]；美[ˈpɜːrmənənt] adj. 永久的；永恒的；长久的sanction英 [ˈsæŋkʃn]；美[ˈsæŋkʃn] n. 制裁；（正式）许可，批准；约束；处罚vt. 许可；准许；准予；惩罚；实施制裁adversary英 [ˈædvəsəri]；美[ˈædvərseri] n. 对手；（辩论、战斗中的）敌手

The German Chancellor visits Ukraine as part of a flurry of diplomatic efforts aimed at reducing tensions between Kyiv and Moscow. How are those in the Ukrainian capital reacting to news the United States is reducing its diplomatic presence in Kyiv? Plus, can the Minsk Agreements be resurrected?

China says it is important to uphold the Minsk Agreements to solve the Ukrainian issue. All the Olympic villages are now open for Beijing 2022. The U.S. Federal Reserve says it is ready to raise interest rates as soon as March.

On this episode of Fault Lines, hosts Jamarl Thomas and Shane Stranahan talked with guests about recent protests in Berlin, German politics and Nord Stream 2, new legislation and executive actions aimed at reforming the Supreme Court, yesterday's sanctions on Russia, and the history of peace talks over the thawing war in Donbass.Guests:Peter Oliver – EU Correspondent for RT International | Berlin Protests, German Politics and Nord Stream 2, EU Vaccine Procurement and Sputnik V Side-DealsManila Chan – Host of In Question on RT America | OPCW Coming Under Scrutiny, Cultures of Violence, Supreme Court ReformsMark Sleboda – International Relations and Security Analyst | Biden's Sanctions on Russia, Allegations of Russian Cyberespionage, the Background on Peace Talks in UkraineIn our first hour we were joined by Peter Oliver to talk about last night's protests in Berlin over a decision from the German constitutional court annulling Berlin's rent caps, first placed last February. We turned to German parliamentary politics as the Greens look to be making gains in the Bundestag, talking about how this might affect Nord Stream 2 and Germany's relationships with the EU, Russia, and the United States. We finished with a quick question about vaccine procurement and restrictions in the EU, with Peter telling us about EU member countries' deals with the Russians to procure the Sputnik V COVID vaccine.In our second hour we were joined by Manila Chan to talk about the OPCW, cultural violence in America inherited from our wars overseas, and the recent legislation introduced by Rep. Mondaire Robinson to expand the number of seats on the Supreme Court from 9 to 13. We talked about how the Supreme Court has become the conduit for more and more legislative decision-making as the Senate seems perpetually stalled by filibusters.In our last hour we were joined by Mark Sleboda to look at the latest set of sanctions announced by the Biden administration and imposed by the Treasury Department. We got into the facts on the allegations of a Russian cyberespionage attack on SolarWinds last year, and talked about how these latest sanctions don't hit as hard as the Western press is reporting. Next we turned to Ukraine and the Donbass, looking at the history of the Minsk Agreements, Ukraine's fractured political system and rock-bottom economy, before talking about how the US plays into Kiev's decisions.

00:54 – Under the “Roof” of Russian Diplomacy: From a Spy Consul to a Bicycle Thief In 2018, the Consul General of Russia in Strasbourg was expelled from France for espionage. Recently, this story has gained wide resonance in the French, as well as Ukrainian and even Russian media and social networks. A technical employee of the Consulate General of the Russian Federation in Strasbourg was caught red-handed because of a police operation while selling a bicycle. 10:01 – Rally in Support of Serhiy Sternenko Held near President’s Office A large-scale event in support of activist and blogger Serhiy Sternenko, who is being held in an Odesa pre-trial detention center following conviction, was held near the Office of the President of Ukraine on Saturday night. Sternenko was found guilty of robbery and illegal possession of weapons, but Sternenko himself and his supporters consider the case a political crackdown. 12:19 – Transmission Dynamics of COVID-19 Worsening in Ukraine On Monday, 22 March, having analysed the transmission dynamics of coronavirus infection, the Ministry of Health of Ukraine designated the Sumy region as the strictest “red” quarantine zone. 14:35 – EU Introduces New Sanctions Regime. What Does It Mean? On 22 March, a new EU human rights sanctions regime took effect. China, Russia, Myanmar and Libya will be the first countries to face new sanctions. These will be personal blocking restrictions: ban on entry into the EU and asset freezing within the EU, if any. 16:20 – Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry Protests against Intentions of Russian Party to Open Its Office in Occupied Donetsk The opening of a Russian party representative office in the occupied areas of Donbas is more proof of the escalation on the part of the Russian Federation. 18:34 – EU Does Not Recognise Putin’s Decree Preventing Ukrainians from Owning Land in Crimea The European Union does not recognise the decree of President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin which prevents foreigners, including Ukrainians, from owning land in the occupied Crimea. 20:33 – Russia Already Has Peace Plan for Implementation of Minsk Agreements The publication of main provisions of the peace plan for the settlement of the situation in Donbas“Key Clusters for the Implementation of the Minsk Agreements,” finalised by Ukraine, Germany and France, in the Russian media confirms the Russian side already has the document. Although the Kremlin claims it has not seen a plan, calling it a “myth.” 22:29 – Consultations with Normandy Four Leaders Held Due to Escalation in Donbas President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky holds consultations with the Normandy Four leaders due to the intensification of shelling in Donbas, as a result of which four members of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were killed on Friday, 26 March.

The latest news from Ukraine. COVID-19, politics of Ukraine, war with Russia Almost six years have passed since the Minsk Agreements were first signed and peace negotiations began in the Trilateral Contact Group format featuring Ukraine, Russia and the OSCE. However, there is still fundamental disagreement over the parties to these agreements and the obligations they are under. This ongoing ambiguity is preventing progress towards... - Війна - знову загиблі, коронавірус, політичні перехрестя і багато більше спеціяльно для радіо СБС...

Host Volodymyr Yermolenko welcomes Duncan Allan, Associate Fellow of the Russia and Eurasia Programme at Chatham House in London to talk about the prospects of the Minsk agreements aiming to end the war in Eastern Ukraine. The conversation focuses on Chatham House’s research paper, “The Minsk Conundrum: Western Policy and Russia’s War in Eastern Ukraine” (https://www.chathamhouse.org/publication/minsk-conundrum-allan)

The shocking assassination Friday of Aleksandr Zakharchenko, leader of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, may end the Minsk Agreements and reignite the Donbass insurgency against Kiev rule. The elimination of a high-profile Russian ally in Ukraine was almost certainly done with one eye on the developing 'mother-of-all-stand-offs' between Russian-Syrian forces and terrorist-F.UK.US forces in and around Syria. With the Russian government alerting the world to another imminent...

The shocking assassination Friday of Aleksandr Zakharchenko, leader of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, may end the Minsk Agreements and reignite the Donbass insurgency against Kiev rule. The elimination of a high-profile Russian ally in Ukraine was almost certainly done with one eye on the developing 'mother-of-all-stand-offs' between Russian-Syrian forces and terrorist-F.UK.US forces in and around Syria. With the Russian government alerting the world to another imminent...

The shocking assassination Friday of Aleksandr Zakharchenko, leader of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, may end the Minsk Agreements and reignite the Donbass insurgency against Kiev rule. The elimination of a high-profile Russian ally in Ukraine was almost certainly done with one eye on the developing 'mother-of-all-stand-offs' between Russian-Syrian forces and terrorist-F.UK.US forces in and around Syria. With the Russian government alerting the world to another imminent...

The crisis in international dialogue with Russia is particularly acute when it comes to Ukraine, the main locus of the breakdown’s origins. Except for the relatively narrow focus on the implementation of the Minsk Agreements, strategic dialogue about the crisis among Ukrainians, Americans, Europeans, and Russians is virtually nonexistent. This breakdown has the potential to be highly destabilizing as mistrust grows and misunderstandings multiply, creating the possibility for the conflict to escalate. To help ameliorate this challenge on the Track II level, Friedrich Ebert Stiftung's Regional Office for Cooperation and Peace in Europe brought together a select, high-level group of Russians, Europeans, Americans, and Ukrainians – a total of eight participants – to develop four long-term scenarios for Ukraine. The idea was to agree on a range of plausible outcomes of the crisis for Ukraine (in a ten-year time frame) as an analytical, rather than normative exercise. Several of the authors will present the publication that resulted. Julia Gurganus, Visiting Scholar with the Russia and Eurasia Program at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, will provide comments. Greg Brown, Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University, will speak on the report's methodology. Olga Oliker, director of the CSIS Russia and Eurasia Program, will moderate. This event is made possible by general support to CSIS.